A Midsummer's Samurai
by Sir Perfluous
Summary: The lonely ghost of a samurai prince has set its sights on Emily and means to spirit her away. With time running out, Jayden Shiba and his loyal samurai retainers must find a way to save her, before it's too late.
1. ACT I

**A/N:**  
 **This supernatural short story was inspired by the ancient Japanese tale of the Princess Peony. A few references to Shinkenger may also be included, mostly because it's my favorite Sentai.**

With that said, I do not own Power Rangers, Shinkenger, its characters, or any of its related intellectual property. I'm just a humble fan trying his best to salute the show.

* * *

A warm summer wind blew across the dark sands of the beach as Dayu stood waiting atop a bluff overlooking the ocean. The pale light of the full moon lit up the skies above and reflected off the dark rippling waters in the distance. As the surf pounded against the shore, it almost reminded her of the constant churning of the Sanzu River, where the spirits of the netherworld restlessly floated underneath, waiting for their chance to claw free and wreak havoc upon the mortal world. As Dayu continued to keep a close watch on the shoreline, the Nighlok demon idly strummed an eerie tune from her shamisen that echoed across the beach.

Finally, she spotted the form of a ghostly young man who approached from the waters of the beach. He wore a finely made _yukata_ robe and carried a pair of ornate swords, the marks of a samurai noble. The spirit of the handsome young man stepped before the Nighlok warily and gave a courteous bow. "Mistress Dayu? I thank you for meeting me. I've been told that you may be able to help me."

The corners of Dayu's lips curled into a sinister smile, "Of course, Prince Shirou. Helping to serve the spirit of a samurai noble is a great honor. Please tell me, what troubles you?"

Prince Shirou glanced out toward the waters and sighed, "I've been wandering this earth for far too long, and I've always felt so alone… until this summer, when I came across a young maiden."

Dayu tilted her head curiously, "A spirit who has fallen in love with a mortal… most interesting."

"You don't understand." Shirou continued sadly, "Since the time I heard her play her beautiful flute, I've come back to listen every night, but I have nothing to offer her."

The ghostly samurai prince sighed and gave a hopeful look as the Nighlok thoughtfully stroked her chin. After a few moments, a devilish grin lit up Dayu's face and she reached into her robes to reveal a beautiful pink peony flower.

"Say no more, my prince. I have just the thing. Give this flower to your lady. The magic within it will guarantee that in time, you and her will be together forever."

Shirou took the flower gratefully and looked to Dayu, "I can't thank you enough Mistress Dayu! But... I'm afraid I have nothing to repay you with."

Dayu turned her back and gave a wicked smile, "There is no need to repay me, my prince. Consider it a gift... tribute from the Nighlok Warlord, one fellow spirit of the netherworld to another."

As Shirou bowed gratefully and departed into the darkness, Dayu watched him leave and savored the thought of bringing eventual ruin to another mortal life and a hopeless love affair. With that, she began to make her way across the dark sands of the beach, and back towards the sorrowful waters of the Sanzu River.

* * *

As night set in, Emily walked the brightly lit halls of the Shiba House, her home away from home. In her hands, she carried a small wooden flute that she had brought from home as she made her way out toward the backyard gardens. As Emily passed the den, she was surprised by how unusually quiet the mansion was tonight. Kevin was reclining in an armchair reading a book while Mike and Mia were busy watching a movie from the nearby couch. While she continued on her way to the porch, she came across Jayden Shiba who was hanging up decorative paper lanterns outside and lighting them.

"Hey Jayden!" she smiled brightly as she greeted the Red Ranger, "What's all this?"

"Hey Em," Jayden replied looking up from his work, "Obon is coming up and I just thought I'd get a little head start celebrating it."

"Obon?" Emily asked with a questioning look

Jayden nodded, "It's said that during the summer, the spirits of the Orient become more active and Obon is a celebration to welcome home those souls who come to visit their loved ones. I thought I'd leave a couple lanterns out to help guide them on their way."

Emily gave a thoughtful look, "Do you think maybe your father will come to visit you too?"

Jayden stopped and looked at her and she suddenly began to backpedal apologetically, "Oh, I'm so sorry Jayden! I didn't mean to upset you…"

Jayden shook his head gently and shrugged, "It's ok. I guess part of me kinda still hopes that he might. Sounds pretty stupid to be believing in those old ghost stories, huh?

"No. I don't think so" Emily replied sitting down on the porch. "I think it's very good of you to light those lanterns for the other spirits out there too."

Jayden nodded and gathered his things, "Well, I should probably get going. It's getting late."

"Jayden, wait!" Emily called, "It's such a nice night out. I was going to practice my flute, and was hoping maybe you'd stick around and listen. Would you like to just hang out together for a while?"

Jayden paused for a long moment giving it serious thought before politely shaking his head. "Thank you, but... maybe some other time Em."

Emily gave a disappointed sigh as she watched Jayden shuffle back into the house. She really couldn't understand him sometimes, how the young samurai lord could go from being a fiery and concerned leader on the battlefield to such a distant and shy person toward people who cared and genuinely wanted to be closer to him… people like her. Turning back to her flute, she looked out toward the moonlit gardens and began to play.

That night, Emily decided to play a gentle and contemplative oriental tune with Jayden and the wandering Obon spirits in mind, the long flowing strains of music reflecting a hint of loneliness and melancholy.

When she finally finished, she put down her instrument and stopped as she heard a faint clapping sound in the near distance. She stopped and looked up as a warm summer night's breeze blew a small cloud of pink flower petals toward her. Her gaze followed the petals out toward the gardens and as the moonlight reflected off the nearby pond, Emily saw what looked to be a figure standing near a row of blossoming pink peony bushes. Her heart raced for a moment wondering if it was an intruder, but she rose and took several steps to get a better look at the interloper.

"Hello?" she called out, but there was no answer. "Is anyone there?"

As she approached slowly, she began to see the figure of a young man, dressed in the finely patterned robes of a traditional samurai. He smiled gently at her and extended his hand in a welcoming gesture. At once, Emily was struck by how handsome and regal looking the young samurai was. Again, her heart raced, though this time, it was not out of fear, but excitement.

"You play beautifully." The samurai said. "I've been coming to listen to you play every night since the summer began."

"Who are you?" Emily asked in wonder as she continued to approach the pond.

The samurai replied, "You may call me Shirou. The way you played your flute has captured my imagination, like your beauty has captured my heart."

Emily continued to draw near, captivated by the noble young man as she felt lightheaded from the compliment, "I… thank you."

As she spoke, she didn't see where she was walking and tripped on a rock. As she fell forward toward the water of the pond, Shirou caught her in mid-fall with a sweeping gesture and gently rested her on the ground.

"My lady, are you hurt?" he gallantly asked with concern.

Emily looked up to him in amazement as Shirou helped her to a sitting position, "No. I'm fine. Thank you. And… my name is Emily."

Shirou reached into his robes and produced a beautiful pink peony flower, the one Dayu had given him. "Then take this gift Emily, as a sign of my deep admiration for you."

Emily looked down and marveled at the flower in her hand before her attention was snapped away at the sound of her voice being called. Moments later, Mia entered the gardens and found Emily sitting in the grass by the pond. She stopped and gave a confused frown, "Emily? I was just looking for you. What are you doing all the way out here… and on the ground?"

Emily turned her head quickly and saw that Shirou was gone and there was no trace left of him. Was it all her imagination? In her hands, she still held the beautiful flower the samurai had given her.

"I…" Emily began hesitantly, "I'm not even sure you'd believe me if I told you." As Mia helped her up, Emily began recounting her meeting with the ghostly prince while they walked back inside the house. After telling her story, Emily waited for the Pink Ranger's response as they made their way to bed.

"So, do you think I'm crazy?" Emily asked expectantly while sitting cross-legged on her bed.

Mia gave a thoughtful look and smiled, "Assuming your story is true, I actually think that it's all a bit romantic. And to think, we're so used to fighting supernatural enemies like the Nighlok that we start questioning ourselves when we come across something that doesn't try to kill us for once."

"But you don't think Shirou is evil, do you?" Emily asked in sudden worry.

Mia shrugged and plopped down into bed, "Probably not. If he was, he wouldn't be able cross through the Shiba House's magic wards and defenses."

"Maybe," Emily sighed thoughtfully as she continued to hold the peony flower in her hand and study it. "Or maybe I was just dreaming again and seeing things."

"Well, whenever you figure it out, be sure to turn out the light, ok?" Mia yawned sleepily as she stretched out in her bed and closed her eyes.

Emily nodded and thought again on Jayden's words about the wandering summer spirits. She wondered if she should tell him, but decided against it. If Jayden was already a little sensitive about the thought of ghostly visitors, it was probably for the best. As an afterthought, Emily placed the pink peony in a small glass of water by her bedside before turning out the light and going to sleep.

* * *

The next day came and went. In the absence of any Nighlok sightings, the Rangers spent their day doing conditioning workouts and weapon training drills. Throughout the day, Emily often found herself idly glancing out toward the gardens during training, as if hoping in vain to see the mysterious samurai again. As the 5 Rangers sat at the dinner table that evening finishing their meal, Emily gave a yawn and sheepishly apologized with her bright trademark smile.

"I'm sorry everyone. I must have overdone it in practice today, so I think I might turn in a little early."

"Are you sure you're ok?" Mia asked giving a quick look of concern to her younger friend.

"I'll be fine." Emily cheerfully reassured her as she rose from the table. "I'm just feeling a little beat. I'll see you all tomorrow."

Mia looked around the table for any other response and was disheartened by the lack of concern from the other three boys. After Emily departed, Mike leaned back in his seat and turned to Kevin, "All right, we've still got the whole evening off. What do you say we fire up the X-box and go play some Halo in the den?"

"I fail to see what that has to do with samurai training, Mike." Kevin sighed crossing his arms officiously.

"Come on Kevin. Don't be such a lame ass." Mike urged nudging him. "Think of it as uh… situational training for combat!"

Kevin eyed the younger samurai skeptically for a minute before giving a deep sigh, "Well, I guess it's worth a try."

"Great!" Mike cheered. "Mia? Jay? Are you in too?"

"I'll pass." Jayden replied calmly sipping from a cup of tea as Mia shook her head too.

Mike rose from the table and dragged Kevin along toward the den for a night of gaming, "Well, suit yourselves then."

After they left, Jayden lowered his teacup and cleared his throat. "Mia…"

The Pink Ranger turned in surprise at the call of her name and looked to Jayden.

"Do me a favor and keep watch over Emily later?" he asked. "Just to make sure she's all right."

Mia looked to him a moment and nodded with a small smile. With that, she rose and left to start washing the dishes as Jayden remained at the table to finish his cup of tea in peace.

* * *

Late that night, Emily awoke to find herself in the darkness of her bedroom as she heard the faint sounds of her name being called. She couldn't be quite sure if she was still dreaming, or if someone was actually calling her. Bright rays of moonlight came streaming in through the slats in her window and lit up the water glass where her peony still sat, looking more alive and colorful than last night. As she glanced around, she saw Mia was already in bed, fast asleep so she slipped on her shoes and began to head for the door. As if in a foggy dream, Emily made her way through the dimly lit hallways of the Shiba House toward the back porch.

Elsewhere in the house, Jayden sat in his room busily practicing some calligraphy before bed. When he heard the soft sound of shuffling feet and the moving of doors, he looked up slowly from his desk and put down his ink brush. Moving quietly out his bedroom door, he grabbed a wooden practice sword and made his way to investigate the source of the strange sounds. As he paced the halls of the house, he heard the door to the backyard porch gently close and he silently slipped into the shadows to find out exactly what was going on.

Meanwhile, Emily made her way outside of the house and headed toward the garden as if in a trance. As she neared the moonlit pond, Prince Shirou materialized from the peony bushes to greet her again with a happy smile. "Emily, you've returned! I was waiting for you."

Emily nodded and looked at the samurai prince with curious wonder, "I don't really understand what's going on, or what I'm feeling right now." she admitted. She was trying hard to think and make sense of everything, but her mind felt so foggy. "I have to know Shirou, are you one of those wandering summer spirits? Why have you come?"

Shirou nodded and gave a melancholy sigh, "In life, many years ago, I had once been a prince of a great samurai clan, but I died much too soon and have wandered the earth ever since... all alone and looking for meaning... looking for an end to my lonely existence, that is, until I heard your music."

Emily blinked as she struggled to focus, "I... I still don't understand. What does this have to do with me?"

Shirou stepped forward and gently took both her hands. "I'd like you to come away with me... so that we can be together."

Emily's eyes grew wide and she drew back, shaking her head, "Wait? What? I can't. Besides, I'm still alive, and you're... not."

"What if I told you there was a way?" Shirou pleaded trying to take her hands again. Suddenly, he turned as he noticed a rustling in the nearby bushes.

"Who's there?" Jayden called loudly pressing through the dark gardens. As he emerged from the hedges, he brandished his wooden sword and found only Emily standing by the pond and peony flowers, seemingly frozen in shock.

"Emily?" he called in surprise, lowering his weapon slightly, "What's going on? I thought I heard voices out here." Emily remained silent and wore a blank look of confusion on her face as Jayden approached slowly, scanning the area for any potential threats.

"Emily, what are you doing out here?" he asked again, gently taking her by the shoulders.

She looked around tiredly and shook her head as if trying to make sense of something. "I... I don't know. I think I might have been having this dream and... I can't be certain. Maybe I was sleep walking, or something?"

Jayden studied her closely with a concerned look. He still wasn't quite sure how he felt about Emily, or any of the others as "friends " just yet, but she was one of his family's loyal retainers and his responsibility. Even if it was modern day, it was still his duty as a samurai lord to look after her and protect his vassals.

"Listen Em, I'm just glad you're ok." he sighed, "but, you've been acting a little strange today, and I'm starting to worry. Are you sure everything is all right?"

Emily shrugged off Jayden's hands and nodded tiredly, heading back toward the house. "I... I think so. I think I just need to go lie down for now, ok?"

Jayden watched with concern as she slowly started to walk back toward the mansion. He took one last look out toward the dark gardens with a suspicious frown before following her back inside to the safety of his family's house.

* * *

 ***To Be Continued**


	2. ACT II

Early the next morning, the samurai Rangers gathered inside the Shiba House's indoor dojo for some sparring practice. It was particularly hot that day and the other Rangers were more than happy to train in the comfort of air conditioning. To their surprise though, Jayden was the last one to show up that morning. The normally punctual Red Ranger looked tired and gave a small yawn as he picked up his wooden practice sword and greeted the others. As Jayden gathered everyone together, he couldn't help but notice that Emily appeared a bit deflated and haggard looking herself.

"Everything ok there Emily?" Mike asked trying to cheer her up. "You look like you just woke up and tangled with a Nighlok."

Emily paused a moment, thinking of some explanation for Mike when Jayden calmly answered, "Don't worry Mike. One must have also found its way to my room last night. I didn't really sleep very well either." Mike shrugged it off and got back into line as the Rangers paired off to begin their practice. To Emily's relief, Jayden partnered up with her for the morning training session.

"Thanks for not saying anything." she said quietly as they finished stretching and took ready stances with their swords.

Jayden fixed his eyes on her and replied quietly, "When practice is over today, I'm still going to want to talk about last night."

As Emily gave a reluctant nod, the two of them stepped forward and began exchanging light blows with their wooden swords. After a few minutes of sparring, Emily found herself struggling to keep up with the flow of battle. Her limbs felt like they were weighted down and she began to breathe heavily as Jayden circled from the outside, trying to break through her guard. Jayden must have realized something was wrong as she began to fight sloppy and miss several easy counter moves.

As they clashed once more, Jayden advanced quickly and broke through Emily's guard, but stopped himself from landing a blow as Emily's face went completely white. The other Rangers stopped and abruptly turned in horror as Emily staggered backwards. As she fainted to the ground, Jayden continued to stand in place, frozen in shock at what had just happened.

When Emily finally awoke later, she found herself lying in her bed with the others gathered around her wearing looks of concern. As she slowly opened her eyes, she tried to reach up and remove the cool damp cloth that had been placed on her head, but Mia stopped her hand. "Easy now," the Pink Ranger said gently easing Emily back down, "You gave us a big scare earlier."

Mike shot a suspicious look toward Jayden who was standing off near the doorway to the bedroom, watching from a distance. "I hope Jayden didn't get too rough and clock you upside the head."

Jayden fixed Mike with a quiet frown as Emily shook her head tiredly, "No. That wasn't it. Jayden never even touched me. While we were practicing, I suddenly felt really lightheaded and well… I don't know what happened. I must have fainted."

Seeing the worried looks of her fellow Rangers, she tried to rise from bed, "But I do feel a little better now. Let's get back to practice?" To her disappointment, Kevin placed a firm hand on her shoulder and eased her back down, shaking his head.

From the doorway Jayden spoke, "I think you should stay in bed and rest for now Emily. I'll have Ji check in on you when he returns with some medicine later."

Turning to the other Rangers, Jayden reluctantly gestured to the door, "In the mean time, the rest of us should get back to work. We'll do some light drills and end early. Sound fair?"

The others nodded reluctantly and shuffled out of the room behind the Red Ranger, leaving Emily by herself. She wasn't sure what was going on, but it was scaring her. Between the visions of Shirou to the fainting spells, she wasn't sure what to do. With a deep sigh, she glanced at the vibrant healthy looking peony sitting at her bedside and she smiled weakly before lying back and trying to get a little more rest.

* * *

Over the next few days, Emily's condition did not improve. She ate less and suffered from increasing fatigue, as well as restless sleep. As the week passed, the Rangers began to worry as she slowly began to grow even weaker. To the frustration of old Mentor Ji, none of his potent medicines or remedies had worked and when he had called for a Shiba family doctor to examine Emily, even he was at a loss to explain the nature of the mysterious illness that had seemed to grip the girl.

Later that week, Jayden somberly sat on the porch one evening, lost in thought while looking out toward the gardens. As he sat, he idly stroked his little lion origami zord with his fingers. Nearby, Mentor Ji sat on a side porch, busily tuning his own shamisen. With Emily growing sicker, the mood of the Shiba House had grown dark and Mentor had decided to try and play calming music to raise their spirits. It was also his hope that Emily might hear the music from her room and be comforted while she rested.

As Ji continued to tune his instrument, Mia stepped out of the house and found Jayden sitting alone. He didn't turn to acknowledge her, and though he didn't say anything, she could tell he was worried for the youngest samurai in their house.

"How is she?" Jayden finally asked after a long silence.

Mia shrugged and sat down near him, "She's resting right now. Mike and Kevin are also taking turns standing watch. The good news is, the doctor said she doesn't seem to have gotten any worse... for now, anyway."

Jayden nodded thoughtfully and glanced up to the Obon lanterns with a small frown as he thought again about Emily's sleep walking episode in the garden. "You know, it sounds like a crazy thought, but I've begun to wonder if Emily's condition is supernatural in nature... like maybe the Nighlok have something to do with this."

As Mia glanced over at him, Jayden asked quietly, "Have you noticed anything unusual happening around Emily recently?"

From where she sat, Mia bit her lip and wondered if she should mention the ghostly encounter that Emily had claimed to have seen earlier in the week. Finally, she decided that she should. She was a loyal servant to the Shiba family and was honor bound as a samurai to be truthful to her lord. As Mia told Jayden what Emily had seen, Ji began to play an oriental song on his shamisen, filling the grounds around the Shiba House with soothing music. After telling what she knew, Mia was surprised when Jayden shared his own strange experience from several nights ago and how he found Emily sleep walking.

"I still don't understand," Jayden frowned. "Why didn't she say anything about this to us... or to me?"

Mia leaned back pensively, "Maybe she didn't want to hurt your feelings. Maybe she thought you'd be disappointed to hear that she came across a spirit and you still haven't been able to see your father yet."

"It doesn't matter," Jayden replied defensively, "I'm responsible for her safety, and she's still my family's vassal."

"But she's also your friend." Mia pointed out gently, "Or at least she'd like to be, if you'd let her."

Jayden grumbled petulantly. He knew Mia was right, but he was still too proud to openly admit it. Glancing up to the Obon lanterns, he said quietly, "Well, whoever this Prince Shirou ghost is, I'm not going to let him take Emily away from us. That's all that matters right now."

Mia sighed and rolled her eyes to herself. If that was an admission from him that she was right, she would take it.

"Hey, Mia!" Jayden called as he pointed to the Obon lanterns. She looked up and noticed them begin to flicker unusually as Ji continued to play. The Red and Pink Rangers looked to each other for a moment before turning their attention out to the gardens. To their surprise, they saw a mysterious apparition materializing from nearby the pond and peony bushes. Although their eyes had not fully adjusted to the dark, the figure looked to be one matching the description of Prince Shirou.

As the spirit looked around toward the source of the music, it appeared to stop when it seemed to spot Jayden rising from the porch. Before Mia could speak, Jayden drew his samurizer and summoned his Ranger sword as he advanced quickly toward the pond. As quickly as he had appeared, the ghostly samurai turned and disappeared behind the peony bushes as Jayden increased his pace to a run. As he reached the pond, the Red Ranger looked around tensely, and gripped his weapon, expecting an attack.

"Prince Shirou! Show yourself!" he shouted as Mia followed close behind. In the wake of the sudden commotion, the shamisen music stopped and Mentor Ji came from around the corner to see what was wrong. Fueled by adrenaline and his concern for Emily, Jayden continued to stomp through the gardens, blindly groping at the darkness. As Mia approached, he turned to her, "Mia, hurry and get Kevin and Mike! I want us to search every inch of this garden!"

Mia fearfully nodded and hurried back inside the house to summon the other samurai Rangers. It looked like it was going to be another long night.

* * *

After spending an unsuccessful night searching for ghosts around the Shiba family property, the four other samurai Rangers gathered together around the central living room table the next day. All of them had gotten little sleep and looked completely exhausted. As Mentor Ji joined them at the table, Mike grumbled to himself, "Couldn't we have waited to have this meeting until after we ate? What good will it do us to be both tired and hungry?"

Kevin gave him a reproving frown and elbowed him lightly, "Remember, we're doing all this to help Emily."

That shut Mike up quickly as Jayden cleared his throat, "I know everyone has been very worried about Emily, and we're all a little frustrated and confused about last night. You may think this explanation is going to sound strange, but it's all we've got right now." The others sat and listened as Jayden and Mia told their stories and began to speculate about the influence of the ghostly samurai.

"Well, if that's the case, then I say we find Shirou and go all Ghostbusters on his butt!" Mike said impatiently while making a fist.

Kevin crossed his arms and gave a pensive frown, "Hold on. If Shirou is the cause of Emily's sickness, we can't "bust" him until we get him to tell us how to make her well again. Besides, how are we even going to lure a ghost out when he ran from Jayden and Mia?"

Jayden and Ji exchanged a quick glance before Jayden answered, "If Shirou seems to be drawn to music, then that's what we'll give him."

Mia nodded and chimed in, "It was Ji's suggestion that he and I play music from the porch at nightfall. Meanwhile, the rest of you will lay in wait from the garden to confront the ghost when he appears."

"That's kind of a stretch," Kevin admitted, "and it might work, but what if Shirou sees only you and Mentor playing the music? What's to keep him from running?"

"That's where Emily will come in." Jayden replied solemnly, "If this ghost is drawn to her, then her presence on the porch should offer enough of a distraction for the rest of us to get close."

"Wait! You're going to put Emily in harm's way, even in her current condition?" Mike cried in outrage.

"I'll run it by her first." Jayden told him with an even voice, "It's a calculated risk, but I won't follow through unless she agrees to it."

Mike frowned and gave a grudging nod as Ji rose from the table, "We'll start preparing to do this tomorrow night. In the mean time, let's eat some breakfast and spend the day resting. We're all going to need it, for Emily's sake."

* * *

That evening, after dinner, Jayden walked down the main hall of the house toward Emily's room while Mia was finishing cleaning up the kitchen. As he approached, he saw the door was cracked open and a night lamp was lit inside. He gave a gentle knock and peeked inside to see Emily slowly turn her head from the bedside. His heart sank as he looked upon her. The normally vibrant color of Emily's face and lips had drained, and her golden hair lay mussed upon her pillow. Still, she managed a weak smile to greet him.

"Hey Emily," Jayden said gently, "I'm sorry to disturb you. Do you mind if I come in?"

She nodded and gestured for him to come over and sit at her bedside. As he approached, he took a moment to glance at the bright pink peony flower sitting at her bedside... the one Shirou had supposedly given her.

"I'm glad you came by." Emily began, trying to be positive. "It's not exactly the circumstances I was hoping for to hang out, but I'll take it."

Jayden looked to her with an apologetic smile for the sweet thought. "I'm sorry Emily. I feel like this is all my fault. Part of me feels that if I never put those stupid lanterns up, that ghost wouldn't have come and this never would have happened to you."

Emily shook her head, "It's not your fault. If anything, I shouldn't have gone looking for trouble and getting into this mess. I should be the one apologizing to you."

Jayden shook his head, "The only thing that matters right now is that you get well. I know we already spoke about our plan earlier, but if you don't feel up to things tomorrow..."

"I'm going to do this." Emily said firmly. "I know the risks, and I'm willing to do it if it can help you all."

"I don't want you to feel obligated to do this because I'm your leader, or your lord." Jayden said balling his hands, "I'm saying this out of concern... as a friend."

Emily stopped and looked at him in surprise before giving a genuine smile. While it was weak, there was glimmer of her normally sunny personality that shone through for the briefest moment.

"I trust you completely Jayden." she said laying back tiredly with a content look as she closed her eyes.

"Get some rest Em," Jayden said with a small smile. As he sat and watched her begin to doze off, he reached out and placed his hand over hers and gave it a gentle squeeze, "We're not going to let some spirit or sickness take you away. I'll protect you, and won't let any harm come to you. I promise."

* * *

From outside the grounds of the Shiba House, Prince Shirou began to pace restlessly as the manor grew quiet and he saw the lights go out. Where was Emily? It had been several days and he hadn't seen her. Even more troubling, the people who shared the house with her had seemed to become aware of his presence. As he paced, he worried if he had done something wrong, or if Dayu had broken her word about the magic flower she gave him.

"You look troubled Prince Shirou," came a voice from the darkness, "and on such a lovely evening too." Shirou turned around and gripped the handle of his sword as the figure of Dayu materialized out of the darkness. As she approached, she made a point to stay clear of the boundary line of the Shiba property that was protected by powerful magic wards against her kind.

"Mistress Dayu," Shirou said, relaxing his stance and greeting her. "What are you doing here?"

"Coming to follow up on your little love affair, my prince," she smiled in amusement, "though I never thought it would have brought me here."

Shirou looked to her questioningly and Dayu decided to offer a little more information, "This is the home of a modern samurai noble... the lord of the Shiba clan. It would seem you are trying to court one of his vassals.

The ghostly prince gave a concerned look, a shadow of worry crossing his face. "If that's the case, I have no intention to upset Lord Shiba."

"Nonsense," Dayu laughed. "If you had already given that flower to one of his servants, then there's not much he can do at this point anyway."

"What are you talking about, Nighlok?" Shirou frowned in confusion.

Dayu laughed and gave a dismissive wave of her hand. "The magic of the peony that I gave you is likely draining away the life force from your paramour as we speak."

"But that will cause her to die!" Shirou exclaimed in horror. "You lied to me Dayu! You said that flower would guarantee that Emily and I would be together forever!"

"I kept my word to you Prince Shirou. Think, when the girl's life is drained away, she will become a spirit, much like yourself. Then she will be able to be with you for eternity. Isn't that what you wanted from the beginning?"

Shirou stopped as he considered for a moment, "Well... yes. But I feel like I should at least say something to her."

Dayu folded her hands into her robes, "Lord Shiba is a young stubborn samurai. He will do everything in his power to stop you from taking that girl. Should you confront him, I'd suggest you be cautious."

Shirou stood for a long moment with a conflicted heart. In his heart, his samurai code of honor knew this to be treacherous and wrong, but the selfish part of him didn't much care anymore. Part of him would be willing to fight for that girl, even if it was against Lord Shiba. As he turned to look around, he saw that Dayu had disappeared, vanished back into the darkness of the night. For now, he would wait and keep a silent vigil on the manor. After all, he had all the time in the world.

* * *

 **To Be Concluded...**


	3. ACT III

On the evening of the next night, the samurai Rangers made their final preparations to carry out their plan. As night began to fall, Emily sat out on the porch in a comfortable reclining chair while Mentor Ji and Mia sat nearby her with some instruments. Ji plucked the strings of his shamisen while Mia readied a few chimes along with a small drum. Further out in the yard, Jayden, Kevin, and Mike lay in wait, hiding in the thick bushes and plants of the garden. From their hiding place, the three samurai had a clear view of the pond and the peony plants that Shirou seemed to haunt.

"Remember our plan," Jayden said quietly to his two retainers. "Shirou may not be a Nighlok, but _Ayakashi_ ghosts should still be vulnerable to our kanji magic."

"I just wish he'd show up already." Mike grumbled irritably as he wiped away some sweat from his brow. "It's too damn hot and sticky out here."

Amid the sounds of the crickets and the droning of cicadas, the three young samurai fell silent as they heard music begin to come from the porch of the Shiba House. From her chair, Emily lay back and closed her eyes for a moment, savoring the gentle melody coming from Ji and Mia's instruments. As the two continued to play, Jayden kept his eyes fixed on the pond and held his breath as a wispy form began to take shape. The three Rangers in the bushes watched in awe as the ghost of a young handsome samurai appeared from the peonies and began to walk from the garden toward the porch of the Shiba House. Exchanging a quick nod in the growing darkness, the three Rangers split up and moved silently to follow their mark.

As Ji and Mia finished their first song, they looked up in surprise to see the figure of Prince Shirou approach on the lawn. To their amazement, Shirou disregarded them and focused on Emily, who raised herself to a sitting position to face the spirit. "Shirou, you've returned." she called out weakly.

"Of course." he replied with a sad look. "I couldn't leave. Not now. Not when you are unwell."

"Yes, I am sick because of the flower you gave me." Emily replied evenly. "I need to ask for your help, so that I can get well again."

The young samurai ghost wrinkled his features and shook his head, "No. I can't help you, but that won't matter. Soon, we'll be able to be together in the afterlife."

"Shirou, please!" Emily pleaded. "Not like this! My friends are all worried, and I'm afraid. There has to be another way!"

Shirou shook his head again, "I'm sorry, but you shouldn't be afraid. Dayu had told me that as long as you don't tamper with the peony I gave you, your passing should be painless."

Everyone who had been listening to the exchange stopped and gasped in shock. Shirou had been consorting with the Nighlok after all! Letting his emotions get the better of him, Mike sprung from the bushes and tried to throw himself bodily at the apparition. "I've heard enough you Nighlok lover!"

Jayden growled in frustration as their original plan went sideways and he and Kevin burst from the bushes after Mike to try and stop him. Instead of tackling some corporeal form, all three Rangers passed through the ghost and tumbled to the ground interposing themselves between Shirou and the others on the house porch.

Shirou eyed his new opponents warily as the three Rangers quickly rose to their feet and formed up around the Red Ranger, taking ready stances with their samurizers. As they did, Jayden stepped forward, "Prince Shirou, I am Jayden Shiba, head of the Shiba clan and lord of these samurai! You've trespassed on my home and brought harm to one of my vassals. I demand that you lift your curse on Emily and leave this place for good!"

Shirou sighed and sadly reached for his swords. "I'm afraid I can't do that Lord Shiba. If I have to defeat you in combat to prove my love for her, then so be it. There is nothing you can do."

"That's where you're wrong." Jayden answered sternly, "Our love for Emily doesn't have to be proven, and that's why you're going to fail. Rangers?"

In a flash, the three Rangers traced the magic kanji symbols of the word "Bind" with their samurizers and hurled them at the ghost. Shirou roared in fury as the magic symbols halted him and appeared to cause him to phase back into reality somewhat. Taking the momentary opportunity, the Rangers traced their elemental symbols and quickly morphed in a flash of light. As the three drew their spin swords and charged into battle, Shirou broke free of the binding magic and met their attack with his own blades.

From the porch, Mia moved Emily to safety and watched in fear as the once quiet backyard erupted into a fierce battlefield. With unnatural grace, Shirou nimbly dodged and countered the moves of the samurai rangers who attacked in concert with each other. Amid the storm of blades, Shirou parried Jayden's strike and shoved him aside to block the combined blows of Mike and Kevin with one sword. Turning their blades aside with a swift motion, Shirou surprised the two rangers and struck both of them aside with a powerful sweeping blow of his second ghostly sword. Kevin and Mike flew backward to the edge of the porch and demorphed, completely stunned from the incredible power of the surprise attack. As Shirou took a fighting stance, Jayden stood in his way of the porch with a readied sword while Mia hurried to the sides of her fallen friends.

"I've bested your retainers Lord Shiba," the ghost said solemnly, "that only leaves you."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Jayden growled advancing quickly with a raised guard.

From the porch, Emily watched as the Red Ranger clashed with the ghostly prince in a furious melee. Both warriors dodged, parried and countered each other's attacks with lightning speed. Despite Jayden's exceptional swordsmanship, he was still at a disadvantage against Shirou's dual swords and the Red Ranger stumbled backwards as he was suddenly caught by a glancing blow from the prince.

As Jayden did a recovery roll on the ground, he scooped up Kevin's fallen sword in one motion and used it to block Shirou's next decisive attack. To Shirou's surprise, Jayden counterattacked with his own sword and struck a blow to the prince's chest while shifting sideways past his foe's guard. While Jayden's regular sword blow did not harm the prince, it was enough to give him the opening he needed for a finishing strike backed by magic power.

Spinning the disk at the base of his sword, Jayden's blade suddenly became wreathed in a hot blazing fire of samurai magic as he prepared the incantation words. _"Shinkenmaru, Kaen no Mai!"_ (Dance of the Flames) Jayden shouted as he brought his flaming sword around on the surprised prince. In a bright burst of fire, the magic dissipated and Shirou dropped his swords, staggering sideways before collapsing to the ground. As the wounded spirit lay there, the Red Ranger stood over him and put his sword to his defeated foe's neck. "It's over Shirou." Jayden stated.

The defeated prince weakly raised his head and forced a laugh as a deep magical gash at his side leaked away some kind of shimmering energy. "I am a samurai like you Lord Shiba. You know that we'd rather fight to the death than suffer dishonor."

"You already brought dishonor on yourself when you hurt Emily for your own selfish desires. That makes you no better than the Nighlok." Jayden countered, preparing to charge his sword again and finish off the defeated prince.

Just then the Red Ranger felt a gentle hand on his sword arm and turned in surprise to see Emily beside him, urging him to lower his weapon. "Emily! What are you doing?" Jayden frowned in confusion.

The girl stood her ground and shook her head, gently easing his sword away. "Jayden, let me speak to him... please?"

Jayden gave a suspicious look to his fallen opponent before giving Emily a silent nod and stepping aside. As Emily bent down to speak to Shirou, Jayden stood nearby to protect her.

"I'm sorry Emily." Shirou wheezed as the spectral energy from the magical wound Jayden had inflicted continued to leak away, "I was a fool to listen to Dayu, and an even greater one to challenge your lord. I only wanted to try and love you."

"It's not too late for you Shirou," Emily answered sadly, "If you really care about me, please tell us how to undo the magic of the peony."

Shirou sighed, "Very well. The flower will absorb the life of the person receiving the gift when done out of love. If you give the flower back to me, I will be the one to fade and your vital energy should return back to you."

Emily nodded in solemn understanding, "Thank you Shirou. It's only right that I should be the one to end your long suffering."

Ji hurried from the porch and retrieved the flower, returning it to Emily. As the Yellow Ranger reached out and gave it to the prince, his hand became solid for a moment as it touched hers, before it phased back again into spirit form.

"It's done." he told her. "I don't have much time before the peony will absorb my life, but at least you may still live now."

Emily gave a comforting look to the fallen prince, "I'm sorry it had to end this way. I still have a mission to carry out, and a duty to my friends, as well as my lord."

Shirou gave a weak smile and said quietly, "Yes, I can see it for myself... the strong devotion and love you have for Lord Shiba. It's no wonder he fought so fiercely to protect you. He must really care about you."

Emily looked down a moment and gave a small smile as she answered quietly, "Yes, he does."

As the pink peony began to glow brightly, Shirou's spirit grew fainter, but not before he spoke again, "Emily, I ask for one more favor. After I'm gone, please, just keep this flower at your bedside for one more night. Promise me?"

"I promise." she replied with a small nod. As she did, Shirou's form began to glow brightly before completely fading away in a brilliant light. When the light faded, Emily looked down to find the peony in the grass where the prince had been holding it.

Overcome by exhaustion and emotion from the ordeal, Emily took the flower and slumped down tiredly as the Red Ranger knelt down to her side. "You did well Emily... better than I would have handled it. I'm proud of you." Looking over toward the porch, he could see Kevin and Mike starting to regain their senses as Mia and Ji tended to their injuries. Satisfied that his other retainers were safe, Jayden glanced down to find Emily all but passed out from exhaustion.

Without hesitating, the Red Ranger scooped his vassal up and carried her back into the house, and laid her down on her bed. As he demorphed, Jayden took the pink peony from Emily's hand and placed it back in the water glass by her bedside. As the clouds parted outside and gentle moonlight began coming in through the windows, Jayden gave one more silent nod to the flower before leaving the room and closing the door gently behind him.

* * *

The next morning, Emily awoke to the bright light of the sun and felt her strength beginning to return. As she looked about, she saw that Mia was gone, most likely already training with the others, then turned to her night stand where she found her pink peony flower. To her surprise, the flower's color had faded and the petals had almost completely shrunk and withered. As she reached to touch it, the flower disintegrated completely, most likely along with any trace of Shirou's spirit that it had absorbed. After taking a moment to remember the redeeming act of the tragic samurai prince, she rose from her bed and headed down the hall, deciding to surprise her friends with her presence.

* * *

A few days later, Emily sat on the porch of the Shiba House, playing her flute to the fireflies that danced in the evening air. It was a sweet tune filled with cheerfulness and hope, much like the flute player and her new lease on life. Over the past several days, she had made a seemingly complete and miraculous recovery, and tonight, she wanted to show that she was simply happy to be alive. As she finished her song and took a deep breath of the warm summer air, she was surprised by the sound of gentle clapping coming from behind her.

She turned to see Jayden leaning by the edge of the doorway with a pleased smile on his face. "Jayden!" she exclaimed, "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were there."

"That's ok," he answered coming to sit down next to her, "I just didn't want to distract you. Besides, I've been listening for a while and well... it's just good to hear your flute again."

Emily smiled and the two continued to look out toward the gardens where a new sort of peace and calm had fallen over it. "You know," Emily began, "I never really got a chance to thank you for saving me."

"It was nothing," Jayden answered stoically. "I wouldn't be much of a samurai lord if I couldn't protect my own vassal now, would I?"

"True," she agreed, "But it meant even more to me when you said the things you did... as a friend who loved and cared about me."

Jayden cleared his throat and shrugged sheepishly, "Well... just don't go around saying anything to the others. I am your leader after all, and I have an image to keep up."

"Of course." Emily sighed as she playfully rolled her eyes.

After a companionable silence, Jayden spoke again quietly as he glanced up at the Obon lanterns on the porch, "You know Em, fighting Shirou gave me a lot to think about these past couple days."

She turned to look at him as he continued, "It actually kinda scared me when I fought with him. He was a samurai who had been alone and unloved for so long, that when he fought, he did so with such reckless desperation. I've begun to wonder, and fear that I may become like him one day."

Emily paused a moment before shaking her head gently, "No. I know you have a hard time showing it, but you're a samurai who cares deeply for others. What happened to Shirou was sad and unfortunate, but you won't become like him."

"What makes you so certain?" he asked skeptically as he glanced back toward her.

To his surprise, Emily leaned over and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek, "Because you have people that love and care about you too."

With a comforting smile, Emily rose up from her spot and headed back inside leaving the Red Ranger by himself on the porch. As he reached up and touched his cheek where Emily had kissed him, he looked up to the night sky with a peaceful sigh. He knew that the other Rangers had planned to stay up late and play some board games tonight, and he decided that now was probably as good a time as any to join them for once.

As he made his way back inside the house, he saw the others gather around the kitchen table with a stack of game boxes and bowels of snacks while they chattered excitedly. The other Rangers stopped in surprise for a moment as they saw him approach, not sure what to make of the scene. Jayden looked to where Emily sat at the table and saw her smile and give a nod before he cleared his own throat tentatively, "Is there room for one more?"

"Pull up a seat." Mia finally answered with a happy grin as Kevin stepped forward and led Jayden to the table for a summer night full of laughter and games.

* * *

 **A/N:**  
 **As always, thanks to everyone for reading. I hope you enjoyed the story. Please feel free to review if you liked it, and if you haven't already done so, please go watch Samurai Sentai Shinkenger for goodness sake! It's an awesome Sentai!**


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